Throughout the ‘80s, the slasher genre took tons of weird, wild, and bad turns, driving the genre further and further into the dumpster. By the early ‘90s, the genre was such a joke that filmmakers could basically get away with whatever they wanted because audiences had (sadly) lost all expectations. This also meant that most slasher movies of the era were box-office flops or were released straight-to-video. Perhaps that’s how we got Leprechaun (1993), a horror comedy centering around a vengeful Leprechaun (Warwick Davis) who kills anyone he can to get his gold back.
It’s a seriously wonky movie, and there’s a good reason why. In 2023, director Mark Jones told ComicBook that he originally intended for Leprechaun to be more of a family-friendly comedy, comparing it to a Scooby-Doo adventure. However, the studio had other plans. “I originally wrote it to be comedy-horror, and I said I didn’t want to do a straight slasher and stuff,” the filmmaker remarked, before saying that the studio “added inserts later for a little more violence” to achieve the movie’s R rating. The result is a film that shifts between cartoonish characters, slapstick comedy, and a murderous leprechaun.
Since then, the franchise has received seven sequels that have continued Leprechaun’s absurd legacy of mixing horror and comedy, taking viewers everywhere from outer space to the hood, and beyond. Here’s how to watch the entire Leprechaun franchise in order and where to find each movie on Tubi, Pluto TV, and more.
Leprechaun (1993)
The original Leprechaun movie sees a single father and his daughter (played by Jennifer Aniston in her first major role) move into a rural farmhouse that’s secretly been the prison of an evil leprechaun named Lubdan. He gets out, murders are committed, and one-liners are flung around like you wouldn’t believe.
But honestly, that’s the most refreshing part about Leprechaun. Whereas so many slasher movies of the era were stupid and funny because they were just truly awful, it was great to see a horror movie dive headfirst into its own absurdity and stupidity. In a way, Leprechaun is sorta meta since it knows it’s a joke. If you love other ridiculous horror comedies like Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) or Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978), then check out Leprechaun.
Leprechaun 2 (1994)
In the horror world, two things often happen with franchises: They end up going to a major city, or they go to space. Three franchises have done both: Friday the 13th, Hellraiser… and Leprechaun. In Leprechaun 2, our mischievous Irish villain finds himself in Los Angeles, and like all sequels, the kills are bigger and bolder. And since the first movie was originally intended to be more of a comedy, the sequel is our first glimpse at Leprechaun actually being written as a full-blown horror movie.
The sequel also found a great supporting cast, including future MAD TV (1995) actor Michael McDonald and Twin Peaks (19901) police receptionist Kimmy Robertson. It was also the final Leprechaun movie to get a theatrical release, with everything after being straight-to-video. Full disclosure, though. This is one of the lesser movies in the franchise. It was an attempt at being silly and funny while also appealing to a broad audience to earn box-office returns. The result is a movie that doesn’t do either very well. But if you love horror movies that take villains to big cities, like Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) or Scream 3 (2000), give this one a shot.
Leprechaun 3 (1995)
Now safely nestled in the straight-to-video market, there was nothing stopping the Leprechaun franchise from being the crass, tacky horror comedy it was meant to be. And Leprechaun 3 really feels like the series hit its stride. This time, taking place in Las Vegas, Lubdan once again goes in search of his gold, killing everyone in his path.
This time around, the kills are straight-up wild. From malfunctioning fembots to botox explosions and more, Leprechaun 3 finally became the hilariously bad and vulgar slasher comedy it was always destined to be. According to an interview with the filmmakers in Entertainment Weekly, the film also became a massive hit. The movie was one of the top-selling home videos of the year, selling over 50,000 copies (and that’s not even including rental earnings). Think of Leprechaun 3 as an R-rated Gremlins (1984). Sound fun? Then, check it out.
Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997)
After franchises take their killer villains to major cities, there’s only one place left to go… outer space! Oh yes, my friends, Lubdan the Leprechaun makes his way to space. The year is 2096, and this movie has everything. Lightsabers, space princesses, mutated spider-scientists, and lots of spaceship sets built out of cardboard and milk crates. I know what you’re thinking: This movie sounds fantastic!
And, honestly, it really is. Yes, it’s stupid, but who doesn’t want to watch a leprechaun fight space marines with a lightsaber? Leprechaun 4: In Space answers the pressing question: What would happen if Starship Troopers (1997) and Jason X (2001) had a baby? Brace yourself for this ungodly monstrosity that’s so absurd, I promise you won’t be able to look away.
Leprechaun in the Hood (2000)
Where else does a franchise go after it’s been to space? Well, I guess you go to the hood. In 2000, Leprechaun in the Hood walked a tightrope, fitting itself somewhere in between horror, comedy, and Black cinema. This time around, we’re back in the present day (so the year 2000), and Lubdan finds himself in Compton, California. Also, Ice-T and Coolio are in the cast.
Sadly, though, this movie is kinda meh. In the Hood is super low-budget, but not in the fun way the franchise is known for. Instead, it just looks cheap. Most of the kills happen off-camera, there are hardly any effects, and the acting feels like a group of improv students reading cue cards. Luckily, the film received a sequel that’s way funnier and more entertaining.
Leprechaun Back 2 tha Hood (2003)
Some good news and some bad news here. The good news is that Leprechaun Back 2 tha Hood is a thoroughly enjoyable movie that finally recaptures that glorious concoction of stupid and fun. The bad news is that this serves as Davis’ final reprisal of Lubdan the Leprechaun.
The cast here is also way better, with everyone from Laz Alonso to Keesha Sharp, Tangi Miller, and even Sticky Fingaz fighting off the Irish trickster. But, most importantly, the budget clearly went up for this one, with the film resolution and sound quality vastly improved from In the Hood, making it a much more enjoyable movie for modern viewers. For fans of horror, especially Black horror, like Tales From the Hood (1995) or Bones (2001), this is one to check out.
Leprechaun Origins (2014)
Ok, moment of honesty here. This is the worst movie in the franchise, and many fans don’t even consider it part of the franchise. Not only did Davis not return, but the “Leprechaun” in Leprechaun: Origins is absolutely not a leprechaun and instead looks like one of the cave monsters from The Descent (2005). Also, it’s hardly even shown on-screen, it doesn’t speak, and many online rumors question if this was never even supposed to be a Leprechaun movie and just had the title thrown on to make some money, similar to how “Amityville” gets put in front of literally anything these days.
I honestly don’t have much else to say about this movie. It’s dull. It’s not scary, and it holds a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. If there’s one film in the franchise to skip, this is it.
Leprechaun Returns (2018)
A Syfy original movie that oddly ended up premiering on VOD before airing on the network, Leprechaun Returns tried to bring the franchise back to its roots. While it certainly isn’t a good movie, it deserves credit for being way better than Origins. The movie centers around Taylor, the daughter of Tory (Aniston) from the original movie. She returns to her mom’s old rural home, which her sorority is turning into a sorority house for their nearby university (Wait, that rural homestead in the middle of nowhere has apparently been near a university this whole time?????)
Yes, Returns is bad, but at least this time it was a Syfy movie that people could watch for free on TV. Plus, we all know what Syfy movies are like, so audiences went into it way more prepared for made-for-TV quality. On the plus side, though, we finally get the return of an actual leprechaun (this time played by Linden Porco), and he even does a pretty good job at capturing Davis’ witty retorts and sly devilishness. While nowhere near as good as Syfy’s take on Chucky, Returns is still a solid entry in Syfy’s film catalog and is perfect for anyone who loves iconic Syfy original movies like Decoys (2004) or Snakehead Terror (2004).
